The Art of Being Saved
by Brittany Lyle
Summary: When Dalhia's parents died she was forced to live with her abusive aunt and uncle. This is the story of how she was saved. Warning: discusses abuse, death, and possibly attempted suicide. If this makes you uncomfortable, don't read. Pairing:MikexOC


She walked through the halls, bruised and beaten but no one could tell, she kept it hidden. Hidden underneath a layer of pain and sorrow, she walked to her locker to get her books; but sudden pain ripped through her as she was shoved into the lockers from behind. Her already cracked ribs cracked even more.

"Welcome to WMHS, loser!" taunted a voice from above her.

She slid down the lockers to the floor as 10 slushies rained down on her.

2 months earlier

Black. Black clothes. Eyes. Eyes red from crying. Flowers. Flowers white as snow. Looks. Looks of sympathy for my sister and I. Hugs. Too many hugs. Eyes dry. Dry from hours and hours of crying. Holes. Two holes in the ground. One for a Man, Husband, Father. One for a Woman, Wife, Mother. Both of my parents gone.

Hours pass. My friends and I perform my parents' favorite song. I cry some more. My sister and I spend one last night in our home.

"You've heard the stories, Lia, you know how they can be. Anything that happens is not your fault," My sister Charlotte told me as we sat on my bed. "You know that I would take you to Chicago with me if I could, but I'm just about to start my residency and I wouldn't be able to take care of you. I wish there was someone else you could stay with, but there isn't."

"I understand, Char. You don't have to explain it to me," I replied

"I know." She smiled at me. "I got you something." She opened her purse and pulled out a gun.

"Why do you have a gun?"

"It's not mine. It was Dad's. He would want you to have protection, now that you will have to live with Uncle Elmer and Aunt Millie. You hide this when you get there." She handed me the gun. "Do you remember the hidden panel I told you about?" I nodded. "Good. Hide it there. You'll know if you have to use it."

Present Day

-Santana's POV-

"Come on, Britt! Let's get to Breadstix! I only have the dump truck rented for a couple of hours, and I have to get the loading started!" I shouted as I walked out of the Cheerios' locker room.

"Coming, San!" Britt said as she shut her locker. The blonde ran out of the locker room and jumped on my back. We ran through the hallways, as we turned into the English hallway we saw a girl on the floor covered in drying slushies, not moving.

"Hey, are you ok? Hello?" I asked as Brittany slid off my back. "Britt, go get Coach. Now." Britt ran back the way we came. I pushed the girls hair back and started wiping her face off with the towel I had in my gym bag. "My name's Santana. Can you tell me yours?"

"It's Dahlia," the girl whispered.

"Well, its nice to meet you, Dahlia. What happened?"

"I don't know. I was getting books out of my locker, and then I was shoved into the lockers from behind. Then they poured this stuff all over me," she whispered so quietly I could barely hear her. Just then, Coach and Britt rounded the corner. Coach had a first aid kit in hand.

"What happened, Sandbags?" Coach asked as she knelt beside the girl.

"She said that she was shoved into the lockers and then she said she was slushied. Also, her ribs look jacked up." I pointed to where you could see a couple of her ribs at an odd angle up against where her shirt clung to her skin. Quickly, Coach set to work having Britt and I get her things from all over school. As we were searching for a stretcher, we stumbled across Mike and Tina from glee.

"I hate that we always do what your family wants to do. I'm always over at your house, you haven't even met my parents! Do you even want to be together?" the gothic Asian shouted.

"Tina, we are always at my house because you want to be there! And you wont let me meet your parents!" Mike explained, loosing his calm.

"You're always making excuses! I'm sick of it!" Tina screamed as she pushed Mike away from her

"What are you saying, Tina? Do you want to break up with me?" Mike asked with hurt in his voice.

"Mike? Why? What did I do to make you want to break up with me?" Tina asked confused.

"What? You were the one just screaming at me, saying that you're sick of me!"

"God! I can't take your bullshit anymore! I'm done! We're over!" Tina said as she pushed past Mike and out of the room. Wow! I mean- I knew they were having problems but I didn't know that she was losing her mind. Maybe with Rachel graduating this year the pressure to fill her tiny hobbit shoes is too much for Tina to handle.

"Hey Mike," I said as I walked into the room.

"Oh hey, Santana, Brittany. What did you hear?"

"Only enough to know that Tina is losing it. Look, I need to find something that will work as a stretcher. Can you think of anything?" I asked trying to get his mind off of what happened.

"Well, I think that I saw some pieces of plywood in the art room. Would that work?"

"Yeah, I think so." Mike and I ran to the art room while Brittany ran back to Coach to let her know.


End file.
